This is the finest group of dedicated professionals I have ever been around. Recently I joined the Citizen Schools team, and their focus on students is unparalleled.

My son is a Citizen Schools student. We love this program. It has helped him both academically and socially. I am forever greatful for the opportunities Citizen Schools has provided my son.

Together with two friends, I taught US government, campaigns and elections last fall at Elmhurst Community Prep in Oakland. The Teaching Fellow assigned to us helped prepare a semester-long scope and sequence for our class, and helped manage our group of great middle school kids. As a first-time teacher, this was a great help. The students were very engaged and excited, and we culminated the semester with a mock election for Congress. I've always wanted to teach and this was a great way to do it!

My lawfirm is a corporate sponsor of Citizen Schools. Being involved in their program makes my company a nicer place to work. It brings employees together for an event we can all feel good about and it gets us out working in the community, meeting great people and great kids who we otherwise wouldn't know.

I became involved in Citizen Schools as an apprenticeship teacher after participating in their 6 Degrees event, which was promoted through my workplace, Cisco. I decided to become involved as an apprenticeship teacher. I taught the Campbell Creative Crew class where student learned about advertising and the skills needed to create an ad campaign resulting in their own campaign development. The apprenticeship program is a place to teach what you love to students who require and desire knowledge on how they can become anything they want to be if they stay in school and go to college. The Citizen School staff at Campbell Middle School run a tight ship - keeping students inline, engaged and aware of their own brilliance. I have a long history of volunteering, fundraising and board membership with nonprofilts supporting children over the years. Citizen Schools currently has my attention and commitment - both heart and soul. I am excited to start my 2nd semester of the Campbell Creative Crew apprenticeship this week.

Last winter I had the opportunity to participate in a shadowing experience (externship) in Oakland, CA and was very impressed with the students respect for the staff and the staff's ability to create an environment where authority figures worked for the students and not for the school. They catered their program to fit the needs of the students at their school and the students showed them a lot of respect.

I have had the privilege of working as a volunteer with Citizen Schools as well as partnering with them on a number of projects in a corporate environment. Simply put, the are the cream of the crop. They understand strategy and what is needed long-term in order to increase STEM proficiency in America. Tactically, they are on the ground floor, providing the daily support needed to enhance student achievement. I've witnessed their 8th Grade Academy as well as their WOW! programs (visit YouTube to see some of the WOW! events); Citizen Schools engages students in a very powerful manner. I highly recommend supporting Citizen Schools by volunteering or financially.